Sylvan Ceili
by Moonlight M3lody
Summary: Way back before the reaping, way back before the rebellion, two friends spent their days in relative bliss. Between them and their families, in the forest that was their world, there were many stories untold. Pre-Hunger Games oneshots collection.
1. Partner

I said to srslyjulia that I'd write a happier Galeniss than my other oneshots, so this collection is born. I've about 5 chapters ready and I think it'll last about ten chapters.

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**Partner**

"Wait!"

The arrow was shot and the little girl fumed in frustration, hands on her hip. "I told you to wait! Your arrow was too high!" She bent down to examine a dead rabbit, arrow sticking out its abdomen, blood staining its hide and the ground. "You ruin a good meat!" She began to shake her head and the boy was starting to be impatient. He didn't like to be bossed around by a skinny twelve year old girl, let alone be scolded by said girl.

"I aimed for its eye! It jumped right before I shot," he said in defense, though apparently the girl paid no attention. Instead, she began to save whatever she could from the shredded meat.

He got his revenge when she failed making the easiest knots he knew for the third time. Grinning smugly, he reached for another batch of rope, turning it into fully functional snare under a minute. "Your hands are so awkward. Can't you do better?" and "I told you to twist it this way!" and "Geez, if you do it like that, even a baby squirrel could escape with an ease" and a lot more mockery were given until she finished her first half-decent one, her eyes full with hatred at him. It didn't last long though, because both of them knew they would need the knowledge handy.

But that girl didn't like to lose at all, so when he skinned his first wild dog, she rolled her eyes and snatched the knife away from him, overtaking the beast before he could protest. "If you continue it that way, we'll be left with nothing to eat." He wanted to argue, but instead grumbled for a while because he knew she was true.

By the time they went to Hob at the end of their first week together, he had had much more fight than he had his entire life before he met her, even with two brothers, but he knew that she would be his partner from that time onwards.


	2. Braid

**Braid**

"Why do you braid your hair?"

It was a question coming out of the blue and he didn't even think about that. The girl tilted her head, stopping her water bottle midway to her lips. "Accustomed, I guess. Why do you ask?"

Yeah, why? So he desperately came up with whatever excuse he had. "I mean-for someone who loves practicality, your hair is very long and that's an intricate braid."

She considered it for a while, tugging on the end of her hair. "Maybe you're right. I'll consider getting a haircut."

"No!"

He reacted more on instinct rather than logic, and it came out unnecessarily forceful. She quirked her eyebrows, eyes round with confusion. He scratched the back of his head, trying to behave rationally. "I mean-uh. Don't. It's prettier this way."

She cracked up a smile. "You're not going to swoon me that way, Hawthorne."

"Probably not. But don't cut your hair, okay? I like it this way."

She grinned. "I won't."


	3. Trapped

**Trapped**

By the time they stood on the clearings, ready to climb back to the Seam, they both groaned at the oh-so familiar soft humming, as if mocking them for their lateness.

"It's your fault this time,"said Katniss, referencing to their 'friendly bickers'.

"Oh well, you were the one who started,"replied Gale, nonchalant. He grinned. "We can always spend a night." It was great haul lately-their families were fully stocked until the end of the week.

"Right. Let's find a tree." By the time she finished her words, she had proudly throned herself on nearby branch, being a nimble squirrel she was. Gale followed her lead, shaking his head at her agility.

"Hey,"she called, once he had made himself comfortable,"look at there."

They were just in time for the sunset. Katniss was never particularly interested by pretty things, but here in the woods, she could be as normal as other fourteen year olds.

"The sunset's nice." And she was right. They spent so much time in the woods but too little to waste to appreciate little things like that.

Maybe being trapped for a while wasn't half bad.

"Isn't it? Maybe sometimes we can come here to watch."

"I'd like to."

Silence for a while, but not an awkward one. He found it surprisingly pleasant, doing nothing but enjoying some peaceful time together, and apparently she did too, because a second after she voiced what he thought earlier.

"If I'm trapped here like this, I'd be happy to have you by my side."

He didn't get his hopes high. There was nothing romantic between them and Katniss was the last girl on earth who would realize she had fans (he had seen some of the eager eyes at school-that was annoying).

"Yeah. Me too." They laughed together.

"Ehm."

They turned around, then in a quick synchronized move, hopped back to the ground.

"Prim! How long have you been there?" she asked, dusting her hunting jacket.

"A minute, give or take. Anyway, the fence's off."

"Let's go home then."

They stride towards the Seam and he saw the Everdeens until their living room, bidding him goodbye and disappeared to the kitchen, but not before Prim winked at him mischievously, eyes glancing at her sister who had gone to skin their game.

"I always know you'll be my brother one day."


	4. Siblings

**Siblings**

"Good morning, Prim," he greeted, suppressing laughter when the ten year old failed to stop yawning. "Morning Gale, morning Rory..."she managed inbetween yawns. The boy behind Gale replied the greeting rather curtly, but more to blame to his lack of sleep than the blonde's presence. Katniss tried to save the day that was beginning to look like a disaster by not saying anything, instead trotting to fetch their bows.

"So here's one for you, Prim, and you, Rory,"she said in what she hoped a cheerful tone, handing out the bows like it was Christmas. "So, uh," she fidgeted. "I bet both of you are looking forward to learn how to hunt, right?"

Wrong. Totally wrong since it were the two of them who proposed the idea to the children and that idea seemed to be idiotic now.

They were replied with a pair of nods, a perfect example of fake enthusiasm.

_You really think this would work?_ He eyed his partner who shrugged in response.

"So you aim that rabbit like this, no, grip it tightly or it'll backfire on you, yes, gently, wait..." Her voice was trailing off and Gale knew they shouldn't even try. Rory tried everything, but his archery skill proved to be downright terrible. Prim didn't even try to load the arrows once she saw the rabbit. Big mistake. Never, ever, look into your game's eye directly (at least do it behind your bow).

So they moved on to snare, Gale not expecting any success today. Miraculously Rory produced a half-decent snare within two hours since he started the lesson, and Prim's neat handiwork made him proud enough, much to Katniss' dismay. Things were looking to be manageable and promising for future lessons, that was, until they ended the day by checking Gale's snares. Once Prim saw squirrels dangling on their feet, she fell to the ground with hot tears trailing down her face and Rory did little more than fumbling, trying to release the animals.

They sent the kids back to Seam before sundown then retreated to their rock.

The first thing she did was laughing. He did too. That day's events were both hilarious and frustrating, so they let loose of their emotions by shooting more squirrels down, bringing their total game up to their daily standard (they hardly caught anything when scaring off the game with their sounds that afternoon).

"So," he started, leaning on the rock, grinning madly.

"Yeah. Never bring them again,"she grimaced.

"I guess this forest was built just for the two of us then."

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I seriously didn't know that there'd be so many people reading this. Thank you everyone!


	5. Birthday

**Birthday**

"So, tomorrow is your birthday,"he started, not even bothering to turn his back. They knew each other's step too well for that. She bent down to retrieve her weapon, mumbling,"Hmm?"

"So what do you want?" He asked casually while disentangling a rabbit, suspiciously early enough today. Katniss pretended to think, eyebrows creased and eyes closed.

"I guess drowning that cat for me is out of the options?"She asked back, almost sounded like she was disappointed.

Gale threw the animals to his bag. "I'd like to do that for you, but poor Prim will be crying for days."

"You can always make it sounds like an accident. I swear, that little nightmare has something against me. How unthankful,"she let out an exasperated sigh.

She went on for quite awhile. If Gale's favorite pastime was to rant about the Capitol, Katniss' was about Buttercup.

The rest of the day went like usual. At six, Gale called her to wrap up the day. Katniss was reluctant since it was still unusually bright, but he insisted so they made their way to the Hob.

"Two rabbits, five fishes, two squirrels,"she counted happily. "Plus some strawberries for the Mayor. Hey do you think we can get some extra silvers for these?"

"Sure. But I'd like to save half of the strawberries. Haven't had them for a while."

Katniss was about to retort, preferring to not having any delicacy in exchange of extra money, but she remembered how Prim loved the berries, so she nodded. "By the way, you're early today, weren't you?"

Came to think of it, she realized he was early for the last few days. When she made it to the forest he was always there, already setting up his snares.

He shrugged."Can't sleep."

It was over like that.

"Let me trade the berries,"he offered, to which Katniss agreed promptly.

The next day there were not so many games, so they were going home earlier.

Ten meters before the Hob he stopped, tilting his head lightly. "You go to the Hob first. I'll catch up." He was gone before she could reply. She rolled her eyes at his peculiar actions, silently wondering what was going on.

"What-"The sentence was left unfinished as she was showered with lights and colorful papers. Confetti?

She turned around, and there they were, waiting in the Hob, the Everdeens and the Hawthornes and even Madge (what was she doing in the Hob?!), Greasy Sae, Ripper, Darius, and Cray (was it a dream?) all wearing their Reaping clothes. She jawdropped, the game bag dangling weakly on her shoulders.

"Happy birthday Katniss!" Little Posy was the first to break the silence. She leapt forward with the fervor of five year old, hugging her tight. The rest stepped forward for their good wishes too. "May the odds always be with you."-"Bring me more turkey."-"Happy birthday, Kat!"-"You sure you don't want my kiss?"

It was overwhelming.

Greasy Sae let out a vigorous laugh, taking her hand."Look, she is confused. Perhaps a good dinner will clear her mind," She led her to the long table and Katniss' eyes went as wide as saucers. A steaming bowl of Sae's famous soup, a bucket of strawberries, fluffy stuffed bread, melted cheese and a plate of a clear, squishy looking cake (what was that?) graced the rickety wooden table. "Whaddaya think of it, kid?" asked Sae.

Katniss murmured something on the line of,"can't...afford...what..." that the older woman barked, chorused by the entire Hob. "Sometimes you're at the receiving end, okay?"

Her eyes travelled the room, landing on Madge's shy-but-genuine ones, remembering that the berries were supposed to be in the Mayor's house since yesterday;Prim's prideful ones, hinting that she had knew the plan altogether; Her mother's sincere look; Cray's drunken cheerfulness;Darius' smug smile; Hazelle's motherly demeanor and the three energetic kids.

His early arrival in the woods. The berries. That question. They clicked together that she yelled in a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Come out, you coward! Damn, Gale, how could you-"

How could they plan everything so smoothly?

Said boy emerged from the door, leaning on the counter with victorious smirk. "So, how's it?"

She didn't know what to say. She appreciated the efforts, but their spare money shouldn't be used for something a trivial as birthday. She didn't like to be a center of attention. She didn't like to be in debt with someone either.

Like he could read his mind (probably he could) he raised his hand, signaling her to stop fumbling. "Now, before you say anything, let me get this straight. I just tell them I'm going to order extra stew for your birthday, and then they're all saying they're in. I don't spend too much, if that bothers you. Everyone donate what they have."

That explained the mysterious food-probably something Darius or Cray brought. Mouth still agape, she tried her best following Gale's words and trying to come up with witty response.

Gale was satisfied with the outcome. He would like to make it merrier, but he knew Katniss wouldn't appreciate it. This was the best. Just their closest relatives and friends (Cray was an exception. Besides, he donated some delectable foods).

"Madge?"  
"She heard it when I ordered the bread."

She still couldn't justify it.

Ripper came to the rescue. "Now, girl, what else do you think we can celebrate? No debt. We have the fun preparing this, and this is a feast for everyone."

Fair enough.

"Come on, dig in while the stew's still hot."

So she took her seat, giving him a thank-you smile in the process. Gale joined in shortly after, poking fun at what he thought "Katniss' lamest face ever". She threatened to not giving him his share of food and he sulked.

Afterall, it went much better than his expectations.

Amidst jolly banter and stuffed mouth and occassional laughter on the table, she managed to reach him and whispered, "Actually, I still want you to drown that stupid cat..."

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A/N: .ever. Each chapter is supposed to be 300-500 words long. Can't give enough thanks to you readers, especially ones who review anonymously since I can't reach you personally.


	6. Sickness

**Sickness**

Katniss looked outside the window, slightly biting her lips at the flurry of white. It wasn't going to be pretty, but they should do it to make the ends meet. Last fall's drought resulted in skinny animals, and no matter how hard they tried to endure on smallest pieces of meat, it was dwindling before the winter even started.

Prim was still asleep, curled up to a ball beside her. She crept out of the bed carefully, spending as little time as possible in the bathroom (the water's icy) and donned her father's old hunting jacket. Slightly warmer, at least.

But as soon as she stepped out from her house, she shivered. What would they do? It was not conducive for hunting. In the blizzard she couldn't see more than a few meters, and the wind would blow her arrow away before she could finish aiming.

Any sane animal would not be outside.

That included sane human.

Guided by her instinct and stubbornness, she reached their meeting place. It took ten minutes for her to make out his outlines walking amidst the whitish scene. "Gale! I'm here!"

Her partner quickened his pace, snow slapping against his body. "C-Catnip..."

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

She ran towards Gale. His move was not smooth and his eyes were droopy. She held his hands only to find that he had a fever. Before she could say anything, his flushed face crashed down to her shoulders. She was swept in panic, readjusting Gale's position against her body so she wouldn't fall to the ground. He was unconscious, and very hot.

She dragged his body. It wasn't easy, since he was a good one and half head taller than she, and pretty heavy. They headed to the Everdeen's, since it was closer and her mother would know what to do.

Thankfully Mrs. Everdeen was awake by the time she arrived to her house, breath ragged from the efforts. She was shocked at the sight of Gale, but quickly regained her composure and instructed Katniss to help moving him to the bed so she could tend him properly. Prim could be better in helping, but worrying wouldn't accomplish anything so she followed every word uttered by her mother.

It didn't help that the house was crackling everytime it was hit by the wind. The kitchen table was shaky. The whole scene was nerve wracking.

A couple of minutes later his breathings evened, and she sighed in relief. However, her mother didn't look so relieved. She rummaged the cupboard, shuffling around pain reliever and herbs. It didn't take so long until she stopped, stealing a glance at the snow-covered roads.

"Katniss, we ran out of this herb. I don't like to send you out in this weather, but he needs it badly. Go to Mrs. Williams. I gave her some last summer. Hopefully she still has it."

Katniss nodded, proceeding promptly. The lady welcomed her in surprise, but upon hearing her story, quickly fetched a tiny jar filled with yellowing leaves. It was enough for a dose, she told her. She stopped at the Hawthornes, telling Hazelle about her son's condition.

That evening they had little more than meager helping of tesserae grain, so she opted not to eat to give her share to Gale, who was still sweating and muttering random words in his sleep. She was still worried but her mother said that he'd be okay by morning.

He did. She was met with apologetic expression next morning, and he let out a weak 'sorry' when she checked on his conditions. She dismissed them, arguing that he'd do the same for her. He smiled, more like a little child than a sixteen year old at the time.

"Get well soon,"she whispered, staying by the bedside for hours. He rolled in the bed, falling asleep peacefully. They would deal with lack of food tomorrow, but at the time she was willing to starve if that meant her best friend would be alive.

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Glad that you enjoy the oneshots as much as I enjoy writing them:) I originally intended that it was Katniss who fell sick, but there were too much Gale-to-Katniss in previous chapters that I want this one to convey Katniss' affection to Gale.


	7. Nightmare

**Nightmare**

Katniss looked up at him in confusion, trying to reaffirm what she just heard. Gale, being somewhat impatient that day, merely buried his face in his hands.

"I don't know anymore."

So Katniss tried what she did worst. Giving consolation. It was weird, how they swapped their roles every now and then. It was usually Gale who gave her consolation on many things (most of them related to the Games or her mother, though).

"It just-well, it's just a dream, right?"

It wasn't as if she never had any nightmare. All people in 12 had nightmares, especially so close to the Reaping day like this. Gale also had every reason and right to be worried with his thirty-something slips. Problem was that his nightmare didn't involve himself.

"I saw you, Catnip, reaped then Rory, and Vick, and Posy... Hell! They're not even in the reaping age and I know that it's a dream, but watching everyone I care about snatched away like that...do you think I could sit back and do nothing?"

No. She didn't believe so. Like her, he valued his family above himself. He'd gladly sacrifice himself if that meant saving those he loved. She was honored to be included in the list, but then it wasn't the time to be flattered.

"What else can we do about it? Gale, you should be worrying yourself. Your name is there almost twice my name. Rory and Vick and Posy are still safe for more than three years." She bit her lips as she mentioned his siblings, because she too had Prim and she knew she would do everything to protect her little duck. She was a hypocrite but she could care less, since it was the life they led in the Seam and generally every part of Panem.

"I swear, I'll do something. Even if we're powerless today, we can do it, Catnip. Surely there's enough person who would rather stand up and try than rot away in vain."

"Are you suggesting another rebellion? They failed. Look at what happened to 13."

Gale had a problematic tendency to take an extreme decision whenever he set his mind on it. She didn't want her partner, her only true friend to be carried to his doom for something futile.

"It was more than fifty years ago! There's always a second chance!" Wrath. The dangerous gleam in his eyes only dead preys could see, now visible along with creases and eyebags, courtesy to sleepless nights.

"Gale, look. I know you mean right but we're hardly in decent state to talk about things like that. There's too much at stake."

She might lose him. His family might lose him. Couldn't he see that? His hatred for the Capitol had solid foundation-any sane man would hate them. In front of him a powerful organization that had been ruling for more than seventy years while he was just a sixteen years old.

She was a coward. She only wanted to live.

She was a weakling. She just wished to protect her family.

She was a little girl. She was supposed to be a hunter.

But he replied grimly,"In the contrary, I think we have nothing to lose-"

It was cut by a horrifying screaming voice down the treelane, and they were quick to hide in the bushes, just right before a hovercraft loomed menacingly over them.

Mere minutes after they just made the best and the worst decision in their lives, and she shouldn't forget the girl's pleading eyes as she begged for help. That girl, a valiant girl who was trying to do something than accepting whatever the Capitol ordered.

She thought she was going to have another nightmare since then on. Gale was right. Something should be done, and it wasn't by sitting idly for another mandatory watch.

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A/N: A little behind my schedule and this comes out totally different from my drafts... Reason I like Galeniss-they fuel each other's fire to be able to burn throughout the years.


	8. Fairytale

**Fairytale**

"...So they lived together happily ever after,"she concluded, collecting excited squeals from the girls. Posy sat on Prim's lap, clapping happily. "It's so cool! I want to be a princess too!" she exclaimed, eyes lit with wonder. Her older brothers smiled at her, Rory ruffled her hair, Vick pinched her nose, and Gale picked her up. "You already are, young lady." He brought her higher, as if she was to be presented to crowd of cheering citizen. "The princess of this family! We're your three knights ready at your service."

"So, what's your order, Your Majesty?" Vick bowed, scooping her from Gale's arms. "How about to fetch something to replace my bowl which you had broken yesterday?" He continued lightly, poking his sister's arm. Posy puckered her lips, glaring sharply at Vick. He suddenly thought it was a bad idea, remembering how she apologized the whole night, feeling very guilty. He thought she was about to cry when she turned to Katniss, who was watching the whole scene unfolded. "Katniss! Vick's a meanie!"

They laughed. Posy ran to Prim, embracing her tightly. "We princess should stick together, shouldn't we?" said Prim, eliciting smile to once again crept on the little girl's face. They spent half an hour teasing each other until Hazelle appeared by the doorway. Dry clothes hung on her arms, and she was still wearing apron. Being a mother to four sure was tough.

"Having fun, children?" They chorused a yes.

"Good. Now go to sleep. They should depart early in the morning." She turned to Katniss. "Thank you for your stay, and for entertaining Posy since evening."

Katniss flashed a smile and she nodded. After Hazelle left, she and Gale took over the command, disbanding the group and ushered them to retire to their respective rooms.

They would begin new schoolyear in three days, but in the meantime they had all the time for themselves. Add to the fact that it was that year's open season, and Katniss thought she was filled with holiday spirit. Where to? Of course, the woods. She'd depart with Gale to the woods tomorrow and they would set a camp there for two and half days. Hazelle was the one proposing the idea for the Everdeens to stay on their house so they could vouch the two of them better and provide more consistent excuses. Not that they really need it, with Darius ordering a basket of berries and Cray telling them frankly that he expected extra turkeys but precaution was precaution. Plus, Prim would like having friends in her age.

By their rock next afternoon, they decided that their decision wasn't wrong. Prey abundant, fruits ready to forage. They made sure to complete the special requests first to ensure they'd be in the Peacekeeper's whitelist for another year. They weren't fond at the idea that they'd spend their time gathering foods to people they loathe, but business was business and they paid handsomely.

Gale passed Katniss the water canteen packed by their mothers. "You did a good job yesterday, Catnip. With Posy." She leaned to the rock, flexing her tensed muscles. "Prim liked to hear those stories when she was younger,"she answered. Gale grinned mischievously. "Did you? When you were a child?" Katniss stared at him, dumbfounded. "Do I strike you as someone who believes those stories?" Gale shrugged. "Who knows? So, Your Highness, did you?" he said with mock salute. She threw him a berry. "Oh, quit it. No, I never like them. I think they're rubbish and so stupid. Look at where we are. It's easier to say we'll die tomorrow than living happily for a month, let alone ever after."

"Whatever you say, princess." That settled it. She wouldn't let him use the blankets tonight. If he spent the night shivering he might be not as obnoxious tomorrow.

"Why do you call me that?" She contained her laughter, stubbornly refusing to show him she enjoyed the banter. "Because that's how we call damsel in distress." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not a damsel in distress."

"Maybe not. If you're in the fairytales, you'll be..." He pretended to think, hand under his chin, pacing back and forth around her.

"What?" She taunted, hands on her hip.

"The stepmother? Spare me your mercy, O My Excellency." He ran as she chased him, abandoning their meals. "Gale, you're a dead meat!" she yelled. He stuck his tongue out, saying with utmost satisfaction,"See?"

Once they were tired they reclaimed their sitting spots. Sweat started to drench their shirts.

"Catnip, I think you'll do better job than most princes in the stories," he complimented, making the younger girl chuckled dryly.

"Everything for our princesses."

He extended his hand to her, pointing at the game bag. "Now, let's continue the hunt. We should prepare a royal feast once we're home."

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A/N: Thanks to Nola96 for your continual support!


	9. Namesake

**Namesake**

"How's the goat?" He asked, referencing the sick animal they got a few days ago. They bought it as a birthday present for Prim, something she thought a waste of money since that animal was more or less awaiting painless death. However, like any little things she was good at, Prim was a wondeful caretaker-she nursed the goat back to health in record time and she found that it could even produce some milk once it was fully recovered. Katniss flashed a smile, giving him a thumb up. "Perfect. I don't regret buying that thing now. She named her Lady."

He closed his eyes, humming softly before opening them again, enjoying the blush of dawn. "I'm glad. I take it that you accept that goat more than Buttercup." She snorted. That little bundle of nightmare ('joy', according to Prim) could never be compared with Lady. "While that cat is scratching my boots, the goat is going to produce milk soon. That's not even a comparison. Everything is better than Buttercup." Finishing her bitter statement, she softened her face,"It was bought with your money too, so I'll divide the milk and cheese between us, okay?" He was hesitant at first, but eventually gave in and agreed.

It was one of the rare days they would talk more than hunting. Most of the time about their family, that day was not an exception. Since Gale helped her with Prim's gift, she was determined to do the same for Gale's siblings, though admittedly, it was harder than she expected because he had three while she only had one. In her room she now hid a worn out leather bag, housing a few coins she had specially save up.

She liked spring, mainly because it was the best time to forage, meaning extra income and supplies. It was also the best time in the year where flowers bloom and she could take some home to cheer her sister. Food abundant. Gifts for Prim. What else could she ask for?

It was where everything came full circle. Wind encasing the forest, gliding through branches and leaves, producing an ethereal like sound, almost like a song. Patches of snow on greening land, shimmering shyly. She had been somewhat an arboreal creature, so it was soothing. Had they were not required to hunt for food, it was a pleasant place for a walk.

Gale snapped her out of reverie, pointing to the nearby pond. Arrow-like stalks protruding from the water, shining under the ascending sun. She noticed it as her namesake. "Looks at what we find here." He harvested some, delighted that they were ready to eat. "What was that again? Your father's favorite advice?"

"You'll never starve as long as you find yourself," She recited, bubbling with excitement. Katniss tubers were sturdy and able to last for quite a long time. It made a good emergency supply. "I haven't taste them for months," she admired. Gale cleaned two and boiled them after putting a dozen tubers to their bag. It tasted starchy sweet like she remembered. "Your father is a wise man. He named both of you as if he knew what was going to happen," he murmured.

It was a dangerous road to tread on, slipped out of his mind before he could fully process the sentence. They rarely talked about their fathers, belonging to fond memories of what they marked as 'before'. Before everything changed. Before they were breadwinners. Thankfully, instead of irritated, Katniss lowered her head to take another bite. "He was. I wonder."

Gale took the moment to inhale the fresh morning air. Whoever Mr. Hawthorne was, he was sure he'd be someone to look up to, secretly thanked him for having a daughter like Katniss. He chewed the mock potato. Katniss tubers... A sturdy plant able to live in many conditions, withstanding whatever coming their way and survived. A namesake perfectly describes his Catnip. Sweet, but not too much.

Then her sister Primrose. A delicate flower that soothed whoever saw her. His father too, had an exquisite taste in naming. He took over the wind, gentle and unforgiving all the same. It was a parallel he could live without, though, because he was afraid. The wind and the arrowheads went along together, but the arrowheads never truly need the wind to survive. Katniss was all about survival.

But sitting here now by her side, being the only one able to elicit her smile, she was his. He was hers. Anything else was unthinkable.

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A/N: So tomorrow will be the last. It's an epilogue I hope able to wrap up what we already have. It has been an amazing 9 days, and I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I enjoy writing them.


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

There are certain things in life bound to be lost in the passage of time. People move forward, and in the meantime outgrow what they used to love. In the sick circumstances of dire oppression, two persons' fates are interlinked, and they challenge the world as one. Children, forced to ripe before their ages, do every little thing in the excuse of survival. One by one, they stand tall against the cruelty of the world.

There were a girl and a boy. The Girl with the Bow and the Boy with the Snares, who spent their days in relatively peaceful bliss in their distorted world. Deep in the forest, together they ruled their world. Echoes of laughter carried by the sylvan wind.

They were eyes and ears of each other. In the following years, she was his, he was hers. Anything else was unthinkable.

In the day as fateful as their star-crossed meeting, the girl was robbed from the boy, and never returned since then. There were small cracks in their friendship. Their footsteps stopped syncing, their hearts beating in different rhythm. Slowly, surely, they grew apart.

A tale of betrayal. A tale of broken heart. A tale of forgotten ideals.

Two people-then one-broken into two again. One whose flame burnt too brightly, swallowing everything and at the end consumed himself. One whose flame extinguished in hopelessness. Doomed couple, the inevitable proof that winning required priceless sacrifices.

It's a tale told from one generation to another, passed down by grandmother to mother to daughter, a reminder of the cost one had to pay in the war. Indeed, to win is to lose, to lose is to gain. There were too many tears, too many wound to heal, and so the forest lost its two protectors. There is no Katniss-and-Gale treading the woods ever again, as they were both died in the war, leaving remnants of functioning bodies and half-sane minds-never the same persons anymore.

But as it all ends, there is a sliver of hope for the nation once called Panem, one where children could grow up without fear, one where no one is left behind.

And the forest remembers. Remembering two children once running around, supporting each other through times, remembering how they were set apart, remembering how the girl then walked alone, half-blind without her partner, remembering how the boy visited their rock-now overtaken by growing moss-only to find disappointment.

Some stories end happy.

Some stories do not.

But they are foverer unforgotten.

A/N: I forgot to upload this yesterday. Done! Finished! For everyone who read this till the very end, you have my utmost gratitude. This epilogue may sound out of place as it's very sappy compared to the rest of the stories, but I've hard time deciding how to wrap everything nicely, then at the end settled up with fairytale-ish atmosphere.


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